This publication describes the importance of developing a study to investigate markers present in midlife that could identify people at increased risk for later life dementia.
As research aiming to intervene in the onset or progression of Alzheimer’s disease shifts ever earlier in the life-course of the disease this brings new challenges. Firstly, how to identify those at highest risk who may benefit most from interventions to prevent Alzheimer’s. Secondly, as studies begin to test drugs or other interventions in individuals who do not show any observable symptoms, what changes in the body or brain can be measured to indicate whether or not an intervention is working.
Identifying accurate markers that correlate with brain health can help tackle these key issues. Here the authors outline the rationale and design of the PREVENT dementia research programme. They describe how, through using detailed biological and psychological measures, this study aims to identify these very earliest markers of changes in brain health.
